Beau Shell

Beau, a.k.a., the Lil’ Ice Cream Dude, owns and operates his own ice cream cart/trailer business. He started his business in 2012 when he asked for and received a small ice cream cart for his 8th birthday. He worked only three events in the summer of 2012 but he made $308 in one and was determined to make ice cream his career choice. However, Beau’s dreams of building his ice cream empire almost melted away completed in 2013 when he was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia and emphysema. Doctors at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, Ga worked around the clock to find antibiotics to fight both infections inside and outside of Beau’s lungs. After six weeks of intense hospital stays and being confined to his home, Beau was finally able to return to school and his friends. Beau surprised his parents when he told he felt healthy enough he ice cream business up and running again. Since returning to his business in 2013, Beau has worked over 400 events and served his ice cream to tens of thousands. In February of 2015, he decided he wanted to give back to the hospital and doctors who helped him fight pneumonia. After reaching out to the Scottish Rite Children’s hospital and the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, he was introduced to UGA® Miracle and Dance Marathon. He was allowed to come to Dance Marathon 2015 to sell his ice cream where he raised $1,000. Since that first DM, Beau and has become an official UGA® Miracle child and he returned to DM 2016 and 2017 where he raised $2000 and $2500 respectively. To date Beau has raised over $5500 for Dance Marathon #FTK who have been treated by the best doctors and nurses in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Although Beau still has small respiratory challenges from his illness, he is thriving and so is his business. In the spring of 2018 Beau will open his first ice cream shop, Lil Ice Cream Dude’s Cool World. He plans to make UGA® Miracle a permanent part of his life by making the group one of only two charitable organizations to which he will always donate a portion of his earnings. When asked why he loves ice cream and UGA® Miracle so much, he answers, 'Because they both make me really, really, really happy.'